The Royal Academy of Cambodia has compiled the Kingdom’s first “Lightning Protection Guide” after more than a year of research and intends to have it published and distributed before Khmer New Year or the start of the rainy season, the guide’s author said yesterday.

Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

Yin Kithsiv, deputy director of the department of Physics and Energy at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, leafs through a copy of Cambodia’s first Lightning Protection Guide yesterday in Phnom Penh.

Yin Kithsiv, deputy director of the department of Physics and Energy at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said he first formulated the idea to write a book on lightning protection in 2010 after hearing so many media reports about injuries and deaths caused by lightening strikes.

“The book has 100 pages. 70 pages is information about lightning and how to protect, and the other 30 pages are all pictures of how to make the equipment to protect from the lightning,” he said.

He said that many villagers in rural areas cannot read, so if he did not use extensive illustrations, the book would be useless for them.

Yin Kithsiv said he conducted extensive research in Pursat province, where there were the highest incident of deaths and injuries in 2010.

“My research showed it is very inexpensive and easy to protect from harmful lightning strikes,” Yin Kithsiv said, adding his book covered techniques for lightning protection both inside the house and outside in rice fields.

The writer said he was looking for donations to assist with publication and free distribution to villagers in the areas worst affected by lightning injuries and deaths.

Keo Vy, chief of the National Committee for Disaster Management, lamented that the NDCM does not have enough funding to aid publication of the book, but committed to fundraising assistance.

“I think that what [Yin Kithsiv] has done is very useful for our people,” Keo Vy said.

“Even though we cannot avoid lightning completely, we can reduce the danger of lightning to our people if they know how to protect themselves.”

There were 165 people killed and 139 injured by lightning in 2011. Sixty cattle were also killed.